Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
— James 1:27

In Russia, we have a significant outreach to people who are poor, needy, and forgotten. This includes outreaches to orphans, to the developmentally disabled, to the blind, and to large numbers of people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Regardless of why people are in this condition, we have a God-given responsibility to do whatever we can to help them spiritually, materially, and socially — and to show them the love of Christ.

I could tell many stories of those we have helped, but one remarkable story comes to mind — a small boy whom we’ll call Sasha for the sake of confidentiality.

Sasha was deserted as a small boy and raised by dogs. Although it seems almost too bizarre to believe, those dogs accepted that small child and raised him as a member of their pack. He lived with them and was fed and cared for by them for years before he was discovered by social workers, who placed him into the care of an outreach based out of our Moscow church.

In Russia, when a child is discovered who was raised by animals, social workers say that such a child has a “Mowgli” syndrome. It’s a term taken from “The Jungle Book” regarding the small boy who, as the story goes, was lost in the jungle as a baby and raised by animals. So when little Sasha came into the care of our outreach, he came with that “Mowgli syndrome” designation because he had been raised by dogs and had no memory of ever living with a human being.

When the outreach based in our church decided to take him, it was a huge commitment of time, attention, and love to help him transition from a world of dogs into a human environment. But they accepted the challenge. Today that little Sasha is a young man with a fabulous future. Because someone loved him enough to receive him, he is a shining example of God’s restorative powers!

In James 1:27, we are told, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Denise and I have seen so many lives like little Sasha’s transformed because we have always taken seriously the Lord’s command to live according to God’s definition of “pure religion.” Today I want to talk about a certain aspect of that definition: our responsibility to show God’s kindness to the fatherless.

But let’s begin by looking at that phrase “pure religion.” It is a translation of the Greek words threskeia kathara. The word threskeia depicts religious service and includes religious acts. The second word in this phrase is kathara, which in this case simply means clean. Taken as one phrase, the new word literally means clean religion. By using these Greek words, James was describing religious actions that are “undefiled” before God.

The word “undefiled” is the Greek word amiantos, which refers to actions that are free of contamination and therefore acceptable with God. But what was James about to describe that is approved and accepted by God? What are these acceptable actions?

James continued, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction….” The word “visit” doesn’t mean just to wave hello to them in passing. It is the Greek word episkeptomai, and it means to look upon, to physically visit, or to provide help for those in need, and it was even used to denote the provision of medical care. James then specified the target that we are to care for: “…the fatherless and the widows in their affliction….”

The word “fatherless” is the Greek word orphanos, and it is from this term that we derive the word orphan. However, the English usage of the word “orphan” is more limited today than it was during the First Century AD when James wrote this verse. In New Testament times, the word orphanos described not only children left without a parent, but it also included the idea of abandonment. Perhaps the parents are still living, but the children are abandoned and left to themselves with no parental care or guidance. In Russia, this category is often called social orphans and refers to children with living parents who have abandoned them. For all intents and purposes, they are fatherless and motherless. In fact, this Greek word orphanos could even be used to describe adults who have suffered abandonment.

James used the word “affliction” to describe the living situation of this category of people. This is the Greek word thlipsis, which depicts pressures that make it difficult to cope with life. This hardship may include housing, food, medical needs, or other physical needs that leave a person suffering in life. As you will see in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem, James included physically needy widows in this category of people.

Of course, every situation isn’t as desperate as little Sasha’s. Yet every need that fits this category is acute, and James wrote that if we are interested in living out a religion that is clean and acceptable before God, we must turn our attention to the fatherless and motherless and to those who have been abandoned in life. God’s commandment to us is not just to wave hello to them and wish them better luck. He actually wants us to focus our attention on them, physically visit them, help them, and provide them with the medical care they need.

If you don’t know how to personally get involved in helping those who have been abandoned, ask your church for advice or look for a ministry that specializes in helping the poor and needy. People often talk about how bad religion is. But according to James, there is a clean, uncontaminated form of religion — and the Lord commands us to do whatever we can to get involved in it!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I want to demonstrate my faith in You with actions that reflect Your character. You are a Father to the fatherless and the Source of hope to the hopeless. You said that those who give to the poor are lending to You. You are watchful over the defenseless, and You take note how they are treated. I thank You for reminding me today that pure, undefiled religion is lived out by loving those who are in need. Through the demonstration of my love, I am directly participating in the expression of Your own heart toward them. And by loving them, I am offering genuine worship to You. Thank You, Father, for allowing me the privilege to be an extension of Your hands so others may know Your goodness practically through experience for themselves.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I live out a religion that is clean and acceptable before God. I give attention to the fatherless and motherless and to those people who have been abandoned in life. When I encounter the fatherless who have been abandoned, neglected, and left bereft of any support, I do not simply wish them well. I inquire of the Lord how I can personally give aid and provide help for them.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What do you do to help the poor and needy? Have you ever visited people in need?
2. Do you regularly give offerings to help support ministries that reach those who are in dire circumstances? Whom are they helping? What are they doing with the offerings you send to them? Do you know?
3. Whom do you know who has been abandoned in life? How could you reach out to these individuals with an expression of friendship? Maybe you don’t have finances to give, but you could call them, check on them, visit them, and show genuine compassion to them. Who is that person or group of people?

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business….
— 1 Thessalonians 4:11

When I was a young boy, Grandpa and Grandma Renner lived two blocks from our house. Almost every day, I’d go visit them. When I’d arrive at the back gate, I’d yell out, “Grandpa!” — knowing that he was probably somewhere in the backyard or doing something interesting in his garage. When he heard my voice, Grandpa would quickly appear from seemingly nowhere and cheerfully open the back gate so I could follow him to see what he was doing in the yard or garage.

I also always knew, without even asking, where I would most likely find Grandma Renner. I could almost be sure to find her talking on the telephone — a beige rotary telephone that sat right next to a notebook filled with the names and phone numbers of her dearest friends. I can vividly remember hearing her say, “Hello…this is Ethel….” Within minutes, the gossip would begin — something she was committed to as seriously as Grandpa was to his yard and garage! Then as soon as that conversation ended, she’d pick up her pencil, put the eraser end into the circles on the rotary dial, and begin dialing the next girlfriend on her list to start the whole gossipy conversation all over again.

There was Grandpa — working contentedly in the garage and minding his own business, fully satisfied. Meanwhile, Grandma was in hot pursuit of knowing everyone else’s business! As much as I loved Grandma, it was just a fact that she was continually repeating what she had just heard from someone else and expressing her opinions about people’s personal issues that were none of her business.

Unfortunately, talking about other people’s private affairs is a characteristic of the fallen human nature. I shudder to think how many people’s reputations have been scarred or stained because of false information spread from person to person by those who didn’t know what they were talking about or who really had nothing to do with the matter. Even if they had “inside information,” it still wasn’t their business.

This inclination of human nature to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong is not new. Two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul told the Thessalonians, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business…” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). What does it mean to study to be quiet?

The Greek word for “study” is philotimeomai, a word that means ambition. This means Paul was actually telling readers to be ambitious about being quiet. Before we proceed further, let’s look deeper at this Greek word and learn more about what it means to you and me when used in conjunction with the idea of being quiet.

This word philotimeomai pictures an individual who is totally committed to obtaining or achieving a specific goal. He is determined to reach it, and he is enthusiastic about his pursuit of it. He has a strong, inward yearning to attain it that drives and motivates him — propelling him toward his goal. He is absolutely fixated on obtaining the object of his desire and will not stop until he gets it. He simply won’t let go of his commitment to attain it.

Although we usually think of ambition of this sort in a negative sense, Paul used it here in a positive context to describe a person who is totally committed to do whatever it takes to be “quiet.” The word “quiet” is the Greek word isuchadzo, which refers to keeping to your own business instead of prying into other people’s affairs. By using this word in this verse, Paul was calling on his readers to refuse to be busybodies. Someone whose behavior fits that description might be known for eavesdropping, snooping into other people’s business, intruding into others’ personal matters, prying into the affairs of others, and gossiping about other people. In other words, someone who behaved himself in this manner would definitely fall into the category of a busybody!

We are to follow Paul’s admonition: “Make it your ambition — that is, give it your fullest and most enthusiastic effort — to stay out of other people’s business.…” Then he continued, “…And to do your own business….” In other words, instead of poking around in matters that have nothing to do with us, we are to keep our mouths shut, keep our eyes from wandering, and focus on our own personal affairs. We don’t have a right to delve into the private matters of other people for whom we have no responsibility. In such cases, we need to take a firm stand and refuse to allow gossip or hurtful information to enter our ears. Period.

This must have been a problem for a few believers in the church of Thessalonica, because Paul addressed busybodies several times in his first letter to them. In each case, he reprimanded them, even telling others to disassociate with those who acted in such a manner.

Today I ask you to look at your own life and see if you need to make an adjustment in this area. If people were talking about and delving into your private affairs, wouldn’t you appreciate it if they stopped it — completely refrained from doing it? Of course you would! So I encourage you to decide today to obey these scriptures and give the same courtesy to others that you would want them to give to you.

And if there are people in your life who do this — those who try to use your ears as garbage receptacles to receive trashy information — politely tell them that you’re not going to listen any longer. This may offend them at first, but it will also make them think twice before they open their mouths. And remember, if people gossip about others to you, they won’t think twice about gossiping about you to others. It’s just so much better to obey God and determine to never let yourself get into that kind of conversational trap!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I repent for the times I’ve allowed my tongue to communicate words ignited by the flesh and forgiving place to devilish discussions that were not inspired by the Holy Spirit who indwells me. Words of gossip and slander proceed from a polluted heart. To speak such words destroys reputations and relationships — and taints the hearts of those who hear them. Holy Spirit, I ask You to cleanse me from all defilement and from twisted speech and inappropriate communication. Please set a watch over my lips and create in me a clean and quiet heart.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Therefore, I will not use my tongue to insert hell’s suggestions into people’s ears, but rather speak God’s will and promote God’s perspective. Because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, I choose to fill my heart with God’s words, and I cultivate a quiet spirit that is trained to wait upon God. I will heed His direction concerning when to speak, what to say, and when to remain silent. In that blessed quietness, confidence and discernment shall be my strength. I do not speak about or involve my opinion in matters that are none of my business. And I do not allow others to bring gossip to me wrapped in the guise of a prayer request. Like Jesus, I speak only the words I hear my Heavenly Father speak. His words are love-filled and life-producing, releasing health and strength in me and in the hearts of those who hear them.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you been guilty of talking about other people for whom you have no responsibility and therefore no reason to discuss their personal lives? If your answer is yes, what actions are you going to change as a result of reading today’s Sparkling Gem?
2. Often when people talk about others, they dress up their negative words in the guise of a prayer request. Isn’t it possible to address a prayer need without talking about another’s private affairs? How can you request prayer without divulging private information or delving into other people’s personal matters that don’t concern you?
3. What would happen if you told those people who gossip that you aren’t going to participate in that kind of conversation any longer? After all, it’s almost certain that they are also talking about you.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
— Acts 2:2

Having grown up in Oklahoma, my family members were all well aware of the power of the wind. If atmospheric conditions were right, we’d hear the city sirens begin to blare — warning everyone to run for cover because severe winds or a tornado was imminent. At the sound of those sirens, I remember my mother commanding me to get off the porch and into the house to seek shelter. Running for cover was the last thing I wanted to do, because I loved watching how the low-level clouds would suddenly turn eerily dark. The latent power of wind simply mesmerized me. The fact that the wind could not be seen but could be felt — and the added fact that it was so unpredictable — made me want to stay on the porch so I could feel the wind in action.

But at my mother’s urging, I would eventually head for cover with the rest of the family, usually in a small, enclosed area of the house that could potentially withstand a hit, like a bathroom or closet. We’d shut the door and wait. When the sirens stopped blaring, that’s when we knew the storm had passed. Many times we emerged from our hiding place to find large tree limbs strewn across our yard that had been carried there from blocks away. Sometimes we would see huge trees that the wind had ripped up from their roots. Very often after these storms, we’d venture out to discover that roads were impassable because of debris — trees, limbs, and power lines that had been knocked down by the wind and scattered across the roads. Electrical sparks would spit fiercely into the air from where electrical lines had been severed, so we would drive around them or look for alternative routes until electric crews arrived to repair the fallen lines.

We’re all aware of the potentially destructive power of wind. But if properly harnessed, wind can also bring tremendous benefits. Think how much it would impact the world if there were no wind. The earth would be stagnant, stinking from pollution and from the normal decaying process that is occurring on the planet.

Just think how essential wind has been to the very development of civilization. For example, if there were no winds, exploration never would have occurred. Consider the great ships of the past that had no mechanical or nuclear energy to drive them, yet they glided across oceans with ease as their great sails caught the winds. The world was explored and conquered by men who “set sail” and traveled the globe, fueled by the force of the wind.

In fact, if no wind were blowing, there would be no movement. Windmill blades would never turn — and the production of materials would be slowed and diminished. Wind is essential for progress to be made. Without wind, we would be hundreds of years behind where we presently are in history.

Wind cannot be seen, but its effects can be felt and heard — just like the Holy Spirit. We cannot see Him, but we can feel the effects of His presence and His power. On the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:2 says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Today I want us to look at the comparison of wind to the Holy Spirit in this verse to see what we can learn about why the Spirit came in this manner on the Day of Pentecost and what this means to you and me.

In Acts 2:2, 120 disciples were gathered in the Upper Room, waiting for the promise of the Father as Jesus had commanded them (see Acts 1:4). The Bible says that as they were waiting, “suddenly” there came from Heaven a certain sound. The word “suddenly” was translated from the Greek word aphno, which carries with it the idea that something took them off-guard and by surprise.

Acts 2:2 goes on to say, “…Suddenly there came a sound….” This phrase “there came” is a translation of the word ginomai, which in this case describes something very similar to the Greek word aphno — something that happens unexpectedly or that catches one off-guard.

The word “sound” in this verse is the Greek word echos. This is the very word that is used in Luke 21:25 to describe the deafening roar of the sea.

Verse 2 continues, “…A sound from heaven….” The phrase “from heaven” is from the Greek words ek tou ourano. The word ek means out, and tou ourano means of Heaven. This leaves no doubt that this sound had originated and emanated from Heaven itself.

Then Luke compared this sound from Heaven to a “rushing, mighty wind.” The word “rushing” was translated from the Greek word pheromones, the present-passive participle of phero, which means to be carried, borne, or driven and agrees with the idea of something borne or driven downward very loudly. When this sound from Heaven came, it was loud — so loud that the writer used the word “rushing” to describe what Jesus’ disciples heard that day in the room where they gathered.

Furthermore, the Greek text also uses the word biaias for “mighty,” a word that could be better translated as violent. Hence, this “sound” thundered like the roaring of a sea or a mighty wind that swept downward very loudly and violently.

The word “wind” itself comes from pnoe, which describes wind so loud that one may be tempted to cover his ears from the overpowering noise of it. This means when the Spirit was poured out, it was no quiet affair. It was loud, noisy, and violent — not violent in terms of destructive, but rather it was strongly felt.

Just as wind moves ships, empowers engines, drives windmills, and disperses pollution from the earth — when the Holy Spirit moved on the Day of Pentecost, He released power strong enough to transform 120 disciples into a mighty force for God!

When the wind of the Spirit blows upon a near-dead church, it can blow life back into that congregation again. When all of our organizing is done and is nearly perfect, yet we still lack power, it is the wind of the Holy Spirit that can blow strongly upon us and cause a vision or organization to come alive with the life of God.

If you are someone who desires a “quiet” relationship with God, I must warn you that when the Holy Spirit’s wind blows, it is rarely a quiet affair. It is usually noisy and attention-attracting — or as we’ve seen, it’s a powerful force that sweeps downward from Heaven like the roaring of the sea.

When God formed man, He formed him perfectly. But man had no breath in his lungs until God breathed the breath of life into him (see Genesis 2:7). Likewise, when the Church was assembled on the Day of Pentecost, it had no power until the Holy Spirit breathed into that assembly. When that loud “boom” exploded overhead in the room where they were gathered, the power of God came upon 120 disciples, and they became an empowered, mighty force in the earth as a result.

Wind is a good word to describe the power of the Holy Spirit. Change happens when winds blow — and when the Holy Spirit moves, He brings change like wind. Energy is produced by wind — and when the Holy Spirit moves in this manner, He supplies supernatural energy. He empowers us to do what we could not naturally do on our own. Oh, how we need the supernatural wind of the Holy Spirit!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for the movement of the Holy Spirit that comes to empower me and to make me alive to minister and represent You on the earth! So many times I do everything that needs to be done organizationally, but life and power remain missing. Today I personally ask You to blow Your wind upon me, upon my church, and upon the mission organizations I support so they will all be “moved” by the Spirit and supernaturally empowered to do the work of the ministry!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I boldly declare that I will not be satisfied until a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit has blown upon me to give me divine life and divine energy. Without this life, I can only do what human power can do, but when the Spirit blows His divine wind upon me, suddenly I am empowered to do what I could have never done before. Today — right now — I am opening myself to the rushing mighty wind of the Holy Spirit. I confess that I am a ready recipient, and I am receiving a fresh infilling of this divine wind to empower me for God’s service.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a time when you did everything naturally that could be done, but you still lacked the power to do the work of the ministry? Do you feel that way right now? If yes, what are you going to do about it after reading today’s Sparkling Gem?
2. Have you ever had a moment when the Spirit’s wind moved upon you — and suddenly you were supernaturally empowered like never before in your life?
3. If you know someone who feels spiritually stagnant, how would you encourage him or her after what you have read in today’s Sparkling Gem?

What God Thinks About People Who Gossip

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that, which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
— Ephesians 4:29

When I was a young man, my family attended a church where the pastor was a fabulous Bible teacher. Wednesday night services were my favorite, because that is when he would really open the Word of God and teach us. But there was one aspect of the Wednesday night services that I absolutely despised — a gossiping church member who always started running her mouth as soon as church was finished!

This woman would stand to the side, peering at others and whispering about them behind their backs. But whenever the subject of her gossip approached her little clique, she’d stop whispering and smile at him or her so nicely and graciously. I hated the hypocrisy of this gossiper’s behavior and never understood how she could talk so badly about people immediately after hearing the Word of God taught with such power!

I remember how this woman always looked so elated when she found a new choice morsel of information about someone else in the church that she could start broadcasting. Yet most of what she gossiped about was based on hearsay. She didn’t even know if the “tidbits” she shared were factual. As long as they were enticing to hear, she knew she’d always have a small clan of devoted listeners. But even if the things this woman gossiped about had been factual, she had no business talking about them with others.

How does God feel about people who gossip? Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” The following verse continues to say, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God.…” The implication is that when “corrupt communication” comes out of a believer’s mouth, it causes the Holy Spirit to be grieved (see January 5).

You see, gossip is a sin that grieves the Holy Spirit. Did you notice that Paul calls it “corrupt communication”? This phrase comes from the Greek word phaulos, which refers to something that stinks or to something that is rotting, such as meat that is full of maggots. This kind of communication is dead, decaying, and it stinks. It is offensive to the Spirit of God, and it grieves Him.

Gossip is so destructive and offensive that Paul forbids gossip in Second Corinthians 12:20. In this verse, Paul says, “For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swelling, tumults.” Do you see the word “whisperings”? This is the Greek word psithurimos — which means gossip!

To make sure we know how evil gossip is, Paul lists it side by side with several other horrible attitudes and actions. He places gossip right alongside with:

Debates:

From the Greek word eris, which depicts a church divided by church politics. It could be translated as the word quarrels or wranglings.

Envyings:

From the Greek word zelos, which pictures a person so self-consumed that he fiercely fights for his own cause, not considering the needs or desires of others. It can be translated as the word jealousy.

Wraths:

From the Greek word thumos, portraying a person who suddenly flares up and loses his control of some kind of unresolved, deep-seated anger. This is a person who literally boils over with anger and blows up, erupting in an ugly outburst that negatively affects other people.

Strifes:

From the Greek word eritheia, depicting a selfish desire to promote one’s own way even if it means splitting and dividing the church. This is a picture of people taking sides in the church and thus dividing, splitting, and splintering the church into opposing factions.

Backbiting:

From the Greek word katalalia, meaning to talk down or to speak derogatorily about someone else. It can be translated as the word slander.

Whisperings:

From the Greek word psithurismos, which expresses the idea of a gossiper. The reason they whisper is that they know this kind of talk is wrong and that they’d get in trouble for what they were saying; therefore, they whisper their tidbits of information to others in secret.

Swellings:

From the Greek word phusiosis, which carries the idea of a person filled with pride. In fact, it can be translated to be puffed up. This is a person who is puffed up in pride about something that isn’t even important; nevertheless, he has allowed this thing to delude him into a false sense of over-significance or of being better than others. This word could also be translated as the word arrogance.

Tumults:

From the Greek word akatastasia, referring to anarchy, chaos, insubordination, or to some kind of attitude or action that creates upheaval, unrest, or instability. It describes the attitude or actions of a person who creates some type of disastrous disturbance.

I want you to notice that “gossip” is right smack dab in the middle of this list! What does this tell you about what God thinks of gossip and of those who are involved in the act of gossiping?

Let’s be sure we understand what the word “gossip” describes! It describes a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts, rumors, or reports of an intimate nature that are none of his business.

For instance, gossip would include:

• Talking about other people’s business and things that do not concern you.
• Repeating what someone else said, even though you don’t know whether or not it’s true.
• Talking to others as if you were an authority about matters that are other people’s business, when in reality you don’t know what you are talking about.

In a certain sense, gossip is like a deadly poison. It hurts people; it kills relationships; and it destroys trust. In the workplace, “gossip” usually happens between two employees who have become friends and feel like they can truly “share” with each other. They are often people who have been offended or hurt by the one who is the subject of their gossip; therefore, every rumor they hear becomes a “choice morsel” to share with the other offended party. This is what Proverbs 18:8 (NIV) is talking about when it says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”

Gossip is usually based on hearsay; it is usually inaccurate; it creates suspicions; and it divides people. It is so evil that I absolutely forbid it in our ministry.

It is interesting to note that the Greek word for gossip means to whisper. This means that gossip almost always takes place in secret. Just think about it — where does gossip usually takes place? If you have engaged in gossip in the past, you probably listened to someone tell you information or hearsay about other people, which you then whispered to someone else:

•  In the women’s bathroom at the office.
•  In your office when the doors were closed and no one was watching or listening.
•  In the lunch-break room when it was only you and the person to whom you were talking.
•  In a prayer meeting, where people often whisper about others under the camouflage of “prayer.”
•  In a corner where the boss, director, pastor, or subject of your gossip couldn’t hear what you were saying.

You need to know that gossipers usually attract to each other like magnets. When they get together, they see things alike and therefore begin to think they are right. Thus, they form a little faction right inside the office or church, often concluding that they are doing God’s business as they meet together to discuss all the problems going on in other people’s lives, even though it isn’t their business to discuss or solve these problems or to meddle in other people’s affairs.

Since the word “gossip” really means to whisper, it would be good when you are about to tell something you’ve heard to first ask yourself: Would I say these things publicly? Would I say this in front of the person I am talking about? If your answer is no, you can conclude that you shouldn’t say it privately either.

So I urge you not to allow the devil to snag you and drag you into the sin of gossip. James 3:8 tells us that the tongue is “…an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” But you can refuse to be the source of gossip or to participate in it when it takes place. If you really love Jesus, why would you want to participate in something that will poison people’s opinions and ultimately divide and hurt others? Think of it — if it were you whom people were talking about, wouldn’t it be hurtful to you to discover that they were talking this way behind your back?

It’s too hurtful to get into this business! If you have to whisper it, then you probably shouldn’t be saying it at all. In fact, a good rule to live by is this: If you can’t say it publicly, don’t say it at all! Make the decision today to refrain from gossip and to stay away from those who practice it!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I admit that I’m guilty of occasionally talking behind people’s backs, and I’m wrong for doing it. I ask You to please forgive me for allowing the devil to use me in this way. I am asking You to help me keep a tight rein on my tongue and to refrain from gossiping about other people. When I find myself in a situation where the conversation turns to gossip, help me know how to graciously dismiss myself from the conversation so I can avoid participating in this sin and falling back into this trap. I repent for my activity in gossip, and I turn from it in Jesus’ name!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I will no longer participate in the sin of gossip. If it can’t be said publicly, I refuse to say it. If I have to whisper it, I will not repeat it. I refrain from gossip, and I stay away from those who practice it. Gossip is a sin, and I refuse to be a part of it. My mouth speaks only what is good for the use of edifying those who hear me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you find that you are tempted to repeat information about other people, even though what you are repeating has nothing to do with you and is none of your business? Be honest in your answer, because God has already observed your behavior and knows the truth!

2. Sometimes gossip happens during prayer meetings. Have you ever witnessed a moment when a prayer request turned into a gossip session, and you felt guilty for talking so badly about that person before you prayed for him or her?

3. If you’ve been involved in gossip, have you sensed the conviction of the Holy Spirit trying to tell you to stop this activity?

How To Pray for Your Pastor Or Spiritual Leader

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service, which have for Jerusalem, may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
— Romans 15:30-32

Because the apostle Paul’s ministry demanded so much of him and because there was so much resistance to stop him, he knew he needed as much prayer support as he could get! That is why he wrote to the Romans and asked, “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.”

By studying this specific prayer request of the apostle Paul, we can gain insights about how we need to be praying for our own pastors or for those who are in spiritual authority over our lives. So let’s take a few minutes to seriously look at these verses today to see what we can learn about praying for our spiritual leaders.

First, Paul makes the following request: “…that ye strive together with me in your prayers….” The words “strive together” are taken from the Greek word sunagonidzomai, which is a compound of the words sun and agonidzo. The word sun means together and carries the meaning of doing something with someone else. The word agonidzo means to agonize. It indicates an intense agony; a violent struggle; anguish; contending with an enemy; or fighting in a contest.

This tells me that Paul was in a great spiritual battle at the time he wrote this prayer request. In fact, the fight was so intense that he felt the need for others to join with him in prayer. He didn’t want to face this spiritual fight alone, so he opened his heart and asked others to join with him in fighting this battle.

As you pray for your pastor or spiritual leader, remember that he or she needs your support in prayer. Just as Jesus requested Peter, James, and John to pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, your pastor needs your prayer support. Yes, he can pray alone, but it will be such a help for him to know that others are standing in faith and in the Spirit with him. The apostle Paul needed this, and your pastor needs it as well.

Second, Paul specifically asked them to pray: “That I may be delivered from them that do not believe…” (v. 31). The word “delivered” is the Greek word ruomai, which means to be rescued, to deliver, to snatch out of, or to drag out of danger.

It may sound strange that Paul would request others to pray that he would be delivered from those who didn’t believe. But Paul had gone through many experiences with “unbelievers” who resisted him, as well as with so-called “brethren” who gave him constant troubles. It is simply a fact that the devil works primarily through people. When he wants to stop the advancement of the Gospel, he often tries to resist a local church or pastor by stirring up someone in the community to be against the pastor. Sometimes the enemy even uses people inside the local church to create problems that bring division and disaster. So when you pray for your pastor, remember to pray that he will be snatched out of the traps and snares set for him by people who have wrong motives.

Third, Paul requested prayer: “…that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints” (v. 31). The word “service” is the Greek word diakonia, which is the Greek word for the ministry. The word “accepted” is the Greek word euprosdektos, which means to be pleasing, acceptable, or well-received.

This is an expected prayer request from a preacher! Paul has sought God through prayer and listened to hear what the Lord is saying to his spirit because he wants to do well in his ministry. Paul desires every word to be spoken correctly, accurately, and in a way that pleases God. Furthermore, he wants people to believe in the sincerity of his motives and not to question whether he has ulterior motives for speaking to them about the Lord. Thus, he prays that his ministry to the saints in Jerusalem will be well received.

As you pray for your pastor, be sure to include this item on your prayer list! Pray that his ministry will be blessed and accepted and that people will receive him and hear his heart the way he means to convey it. He needs your prayer power working behind him as he takes specific words from God into various situations.

Fourth, Paul requested that the believers in Rome pray “that I may come unto you with joy…” (v. 32). The word “joy” is the Greek word chara, meaning joy, gladness, or rejoicing. This simply means Paul wanted to have joy in his ministry! He had faced many hardships that gave him opportunities to lose his joy — such as broken friendships, dashed expectations, political turmoil, church divisions, and so on. Paul’s request was very simple: “Please pray that I will have and will keep my joy in the middle of everything I have to deal with in my ministry!”

Just think of the things that happen in your own life that tempt you to lose your joy. What about your pastor? Think of all the people he counsels, the marriages he tries to help, the sermons he has to prepare, and the organization he has to oversee. Then on top of all that, think of the disappointment your pastor is tempted to feel when people he has helped in the past decide to leave the church. I guarantee you that there are many opportunities for your pastor to lose his joy.

So take Paul’s prayer request to heart and apply it to your pastor. Pray that your pastor will have and will hold on to his joy in spite of everything he has to deal with in his ministry!

Fifth, Paul prayed: “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God….” The word “will” is the Greek word thelema, meaning the design, purpose, plan, or will. Paul wanted to be right in the middle of God’s will for his life!

Just as we pray to make no mistakes and to be right where God wants us to be, Paul prayed the very same prayer! He wanted the saints to pray that he would make no mistakes and that he might always stay in the perfect plan of God.

So when you pray for your pastor, pray that he will have the wisdom to know what he is supposed to do in the various situations he faces in his ministry. Questions come at him all day long, and he needs your prayer support to make right decisions. And just as Paul requested prayer that he would be in the will of God, help your pastor by strongly praying that he will stay sensitive to the Spirit so he can avoid making costly mistakes and follow God’s will for himself and for the church.

Sixth, Paul requested prayer that he might be “refreshed” (v. 32). The word “refreshed” is the Greek word sunanapauomai, a compound of the words sun and anapauomai. The word sun means together with, as to do or to experience something with someone else. The word anapauomai means to calm, to soothe, to refresh, or to be refreshed. When these two words are positioned together, they become the word sunanapauomai, which means to be refreshed with someone else.

Everyone needs to be refreshed from time to time — including pastors and preachers! People tend to think that pastors and preachers don’t need the same refreshing that others need, but everyone needs to be refreshed and touched by God from time to time! Paul makes his need for refreshment known by telling his Roman readers, “I need to be refreshed just like the rest of you, so please pray that I will be refreshed!”

As you pray for your pastor, or for the ministries and missionaries you support, use this prayer request of the apostle Paul to guide you in your prayers. This prayer was included in the New Testament by the Holy Spirit to let us know that everyone — including ministers of the Gospel — need people to stand behind them in prayer. So why not use this prayer as a tool to help you pray more effectively for the spiritual leaders to whom God has connected you?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am making the decision to stand with my pastor in prayer! I want to join him as a sincere prayer partner and support him spiritually by praying for him. I ask You to deliver him from people who have wrong motives. I also pray that his ministry will be well received; that he will have joy in his ministry; that he will make right decisions and stay in the will of God; and that he will always feel strong and refreshed in his spirit, soul, and body. Please richly bless my pastor, his wife, and his family.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am a strong support to my pastor and his family. I regularly pray for him and for the other ministries and missionaries God has called me to support. They need my prayer power — and I stand with them in the Spirit for God’s blessings to come upon their lives!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you spend time praying for your pastor and the needs he may be facing in his own life? If you were a pastor, don’t you think that you would want your congregation to be praying for you?

2. Based on Paul’s prayer request in Romans 15:30-32, what is the most important thing you can be praying for your pastor right now?

3. As you pray, do you sense the Holy Spirit prompting you to pray anything special for your pastor and his family? If so, pay close attention to that prompting, for it may be a special leading of the Holy Spirit to show you how to support him and his family in prayer, especially at this present time.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
— Ephesians 1:13

In Greek and Roman times — and in certain places still today — if a package was to be dispatched to another location, it first went through a series of investigations to make sure the contents were not flawed, broken, or shattered. The sender would examine every single piece of the contents to make sure each one was whole and intact. This means the process of examining every little fragment of the contents was extraordinarily important for the one charged with sealing the shipment. If everything was whole and intact, the sender would pour hot wax on the crease of the package and then carefully push the insignia of the owner into the wax, signifying that all the contents were in perfect order. That “seal” was called a sphragidzo — the exact same word used in Ephesians 1:13, where the Bible says we were “sealed” with the Holy Spirit on the day we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This insignia on the package was important for several reasons. It was the insignia of the owner of the package. No one would dare break into the sealed package to disturb the contents, especially if this owner was a high-ranking person, for the consequences of such an action would be severe.

Furthermore, that insignia, or “seal,” was the guarantee that the package would be delivered to its final destination. It was like the highest postage stamp one could put on a package. The seal guaranteed that it would arrive at its ultimate destination unharmed.

Last but not least, that insignia guaranteed that everything in the package was in order — nothing was missing, broken, inferior, or shattered. Everything was whole and complete.

As I’ve noted, this Greek word sphragidzo (“seal”) is precisely the word used in Ephesians 1:13, where Paul wrote, “…In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”

This tells us that when we believed and were born again, God examined us to make sure we were made completely new and whole, and He found no flaws, no defects, and no shattered places. God saw that we were truly a product of Christ’s own making and were complete in Him. In fact, we were so complete that, figuratively speaking, Christ poured His “wax” onto our hearts and spirits and then pressed the insignia of the Holy Spirit into us, giving guaranteed proof through the Spirit’s indwelling presence that we belong to God and will make it to our ultimate destination — Heaven.

You and I may feel that we’ve had a few bumps along the way, but the Holy Spirit is the guaranteed proof that we will eventually make it to our heavenly home! Regardless of how the devil or life may try to assail against us, the Holy Spirit is “postage-paid sufficient” to get us all the way to our Lord Jesus one of these glorious days!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for sending someone to preach the Gospel to me — and for giving me the faith to believe it. I am in wonder and amazement that as soon as I believed, You gave me the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s presence in me is absolute, guaranteed proof that I belong to You — and I am so thankful that You pressed the insignia of the Holy Spirit into my heart and spirit, which means “postage-paid.” Because of this precious work You’ve done in my life, I rejoice that one day I will reach my destination to be with You in my heavenly home!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am complete and whole in Jesus Christ. After I believed, God saw that I was truly a product of Christ’s own making. God made a full examination of me to make sure all parts were complete and that I was whole in Jesus Christ. Then He gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will be with me all my life as a guarantee. He is the proof that I am a child of God. He is the evidence that I am born again. And His presence in my life is the guarantee that I will make it one day to my heavenly home!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. According to the Bible, you received the Holy Spirit the day you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. Can you recall the change that occurred inside you when God made you His temple and sent His Spirit to dwell within you? What were some of the immediate changes you experienced?
2. When you read that God checked you out — that He investigated you to make sure you were really born again and whole — and found that you were, what does that mean to you? Think of it: God found no defects!
3. If you’ve ever wondered if you will actually make it to Heaven, you can put that thought away forever if you have the Holy Spirit living inside you. He is the “postage-paid,” absolute guarantee that you will make it to your heavenly home. When you think about that, how does it make you feel?

Mark 11:23 Works for the Devil Too!

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
— Mark 11:23

The devil loves to make a playground out of people’s minds and imaginations. He delights in filling their perceptions and senses with illusions that captivate them, paralyze them, and ultimately destroy them. How can believers avoid falling victim to the devil’s attacks? They must make a spiritual and mental decision to take charge of every thought that enters their minds!

Taking your thoughts captive is going to require determination and energy. Once you make the decision to do it, you still have to stick with that decision. If you’re not really committed to seizing every thought the devil tries to inject into your mind and emotions, he’ll be back to strike you again and again. And if you don’t stop the enemy’s thoughts from invading your mind, it won’t be long until your faith begins to empower those thoughts and they become a bona fide reality in your life!

Mark 11:23 is a powerful verse about faith and confession that believers claim and use around the world. But the principle in this verse works in both a positive and negative sense — or to put it another way, this principle works both in the realm of God and in the realm of the devil.

Mark 11:23 says, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” According to what Jesus taught in this verse, you can bring to pass whatsoever you say and believe in your heart.

Did you notice that Jesus said if a person confesses something “and shall not doubt in his heart” — in other words, if he believes the words he is speaking with his mouth — he will have exactly what he says. The word “doubt” is from the Greek word diakrinomai, which means to hesitate, to waver, to doubt, or to differ. In context, Jesus is saying that when a person’s heart doesn’t differ from what his mouth is saying, the combination of his heart and mouth in agreement will always make things happen!

I call this concept “the heart-mouth connection.” For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your healing, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally bring that healing into manifestation in your physical body.

Creative power is released when the heart and mouth get into agreement! That is why you must be careful about what you believe in your heart and say with your mouth, because when your heart and mouth get “in sync” with each other, it literally makes things come to pass!

This heart-mouth combination works on both the positive and negative sides of life. It can bring about the manifestation of healing in your body, salvation to your family, prosperity to your business, and growth to your local church. But the devil also knows how to use this principle against you!

The enemy knows if he can fill your mind and heart with lies that you believe and then coax you into confessing those lies with your mouth, you will make those evil images come to pass in your life! That is exactly why the devil wants to fill your mind with lies and accusations. That’s why he paints so vividly on the “movie screen” in your mind. That’s why he assaults your mind and emotions again and again. He knows he just has to get you to embrace these lies and to start believing them.

Once you do that, you’ll soon start speaking those lies out of your mouth. And if you start speaking them with your mouth, it will only be a matter of time until they become your reality. Jesus said, “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). So according to Jesus, whatever is in your heart is eventually going to come out of your mouth!

Because great power is released when your heart and mouth start working together, it’s extremely important that you put the right things into your heart. Mark 11:23 promises that whatever you believe in your heart and say with your mouth will come to pass. But as I said before, it doesn’t just apply to Bible verses; it applies to anything you believe in your heart and say with your mouth. So if the devil can get you to believe and say wrong things, your own heart and mouth will cause those killer confessions to come to pass.

I know it’s hard to control your mouth sometimes, but when you start to “run at the mouth” and say any ol’ thing the devil puts in your head, you’re playing with fire! It is a scientific fact that when you speak something out loud, those words are verified and empowered in your mind. That’s why the devil wants you to repeat every stupid thing he puts in your mind. By repeating it out loud, you are helping him build a stronghold in the realm of your mind and imagination!

This is another reason why it’s so important for you to spend time in the Word of God. As you spend time meditating in the Word, your mind becomes renewed to God’s way of thinking (see Ephesians 4:23 and Colossians 3:10). God’s Word brings a supernatural cleansing that washes your mind and emotions from the contamination of the world, the memories of past experiences, and the lies that the enemy has tried to sow into your brain.

When you make it a priority to fill your mind with truth from God’s Word, the enemy can’t penetrate your mind and he can’t fill you with his lies. And if you’re not filled with his lies, you won’t be speaking and confessing things that are untrue! You see, when your mind is renewed to the Word of God, you become inwardly strengthened and very hard to deceive!

Satan knows that empty heads are much easier to deceive. That’s why he loves it when he finds a believer who has made no effort to fill his mind with truth from God’s Word. The devil knows he has found another empty head just waiting for him to come along and fill it — and he’s happy to oblige!

Who or what is going to control your mind? God and His Word, or the enemy and his lies? Your mind is going to be filled with something, so you may as well choose the right thing to fill it. Your choice in this matter will determine your success or your failure in life, so make sure you choose wisely!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want my heart and mouth to say the right things! I know I need to spend more time filling my heart and mind with Your Word. I also know I need to be speaking positive confessions about myself, my family, my business, my future, my health, and every other area of my life. Your Word has the promises I need for every sphere of my life, so I ask You to help me fill my heart with the truth and line up my mouth with what Your Word promises for my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I spend time meditating in the Word of God, and it renews my mind to God’s way of thinking. God’s Word brings a supernatural cleansing that washes my mind and emotions from the contamination of the world, the memories of past experiences, and the lies that the enemy has tried to sow into my brain. I make it a priority to fill my mind with truth from God’s Word; therefore, I make it very difficult for the devil to penetrate my mind with his lies. 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. What negative things do you say about yourself — about your weight, your appearance, your skills, etc. — that you know you ought not to be saying?

2. Can you recall an example of how you confessed something negative for so long that your words eventually came to pass in your life?

3. How much time do you spend reading your Bible and meditating on God’s Word? There is no reason to be dishonest in your answer, because God knows the truth anyway. Look at your life honestly as you answer this question.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
— 2 Corinthians 4:7

Most people struggle with poor self-images. We see ourselves as unworthy shacks built of mud and sticks. We certainly do not see ourselves as the highly decorated shrines of the Holy Spirit that we talked about in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem!

Paul was aware of this, too, and that is why he commented, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Paul used several key words in this text. First, he said, “But we have….” The Greek word used here is echomen, and it can be translated we hold or we possess. It is in agreement with the phrase “earthen vessels,” which is the Greek word ostrakinos, describing small, cheap, easily broken pottery. This particular kind of pottery was considered to be weak, fragile, and easily replaceable.

By using the word echomen in connection with ostrakinos, Paul is making a strong statement regarding our real spiritual condition. He says that we hold or possess some kind of treasure in vessels that are small, cheap, easily broken, and replaceable. This is how he described our physical bodies. And — he was right! The human body is fragile. A wrong diet can kill it; working too hard can break it; too much pressure can damage it; and even after caring for it your whole lifetime, it still dies.

The greatest minds, the most creative inventors, the highest intellects, the most colorful writers, and the most dynamic politicians are all subject to physical death. Eventually the human body breaks under the stress of age, and the vessel that carried such incredible talent and potential is reduced to unrecognizable dust, totally valueless. Some human vessels break earlier, and some last longer — but eventually they all break; they all collapse; and they all return to dust.

Here is the amazing part: We “earthen vessels” contain something Paul called a “treasure.” The word “treasure” is the Greek word thesauros. It describes a treasure so rich and immense that it could never be expended. This would be the treasure hunter’s greatest dream. This, my friend, refers to the precious Holy Spirit, which God has deposited inside us!

From natural appearances, we may look weak, fragile, and valueless. Certainly we don’t look like a place where God would hide His greatest treasure. Paul wrote this verse with a sense of amazement: “We hold this immense, incredibly rich, inexhaustible treasure in these human bodies of ours that are so easily broken and expended!”

If you were God and possessed a treasure that was infinitely grand, would you place it in something as unreliable as you are? But that is precisely what He did. This is part of the miracle of our salvation. What we see with our eyes is the outer casing of weak humanity. But contained in that fleshly, carnal, short-lived body is the very power that created the universe and raised Jesus from the dead!

The point is this: After recreating us in Christ Jesus; after turning our previously dead spirits into temples so marvelous that God Himself is willing to live in them; and after placing His greatest treasure in our hearts, do you think the Holy Spirit is going to walk off and leave His investment for the enemy to plunder? The emphatic answer to that question should be obvious to you by now! Never!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for putting Your Spirit inside me. Yes, it’s true that my body is weak, fragile, and temporary. Yet You have chosen to place Your immense, incredibly rich, inexhaustible treasure in this fragile human body of mine that is so easily broken! Help me, Holy Spirit, to understand this wonderful truth so I can more effectively yield to and cooperate with You. Open my spiritual eyes so I can truly see the wealth You have deposited inside me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am the repository of the Holy Spirit! When God was choosing a place for His Spirit to take up residence, He chose me! Although my physical body may be a clay earthen vessel of human frailty, He has chosen to reside deep within me so the grandeur and surpassing greatness of Christ in me, the Hope of Glory, will be shown to be arising from Your sufficiency and not from me. My spiritual eyes are being opened, and I am realizing more and more every day that God has put His greatest gift in me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. When did the Holy Spirit first come into your life? This is a very doctrinal question — one that you need to get right because it establishes your foundation for belief.
2. When the Holy Spirit moved into you, what qualities and characteristics did His divine life impart to you? In what ways are you tapping into them and applying them in the various areas of your life?
3. Is there any other place the Holy Spirit lives outside the human spirit? Why has the Holy Spirit chosen to indwell you?

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
— 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

When teaching on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, I sometimes say that when the Holy Spirit moved into our hearts, He hung pictures on the wall; He put rugs on the floor; and He settled into a comfortable chair inside our hearts. But He has done much more than that! He has taken our spirits, once dead in trespasses and sin, and raised them to new life, recreating them into a marvelous temple of God.

Obviously, what the Holy Spirit accomplished in our salvation was not just a decorating job. He created a dwelling place on the inside of us that is so wonderful, so marvelous, so fantastic, and so outstanding that the Holy Spirit — the Third Person of the Godhead — was willing to make it His home! Paul referred to this miraculous work in First Corinthians 6:19 and 20, when he wrote, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

The word “temple” is taken from the Greek word naos, which always describes a highly decorated shrine. It paints the picture of a beautiful cathedral with tall, vaulted ceilings, marble columns, granite floors, hand-carved woodwork overlaid with gold and silver, crystal chandeliers, silver candelabras, and burning incense around the front of the altar.

Being raised in a Protestant denomination, I was accustomed to the interior of a simple Protestant church. We had pews, a baptistry, an attractive carpet, and heavy oak pulpit furniture. That was our style of church decoration. It was nice, but moderate and simple.

The first time I ever entered a cathedral, I nearly fell over! I was just a small boy when I participated in my uncle’s wedding at a large Catholic church in our city. I remember walking down the aisle of that church building, awestruck by the high ceilings and the beauty of the statues and paintings.

In my journeys from one end of the former Soviet Union to the other, I often stop to see large Russian Orthodox church buildings. The architecture; the craftsmanship; the gold, the silver, and precious stones; the inlaid marbles; the painting and icons — the talent and gifting required to create all that beauty is so much more than I could ever imagine! Some of these buildings are nearly unbelievable in terms of size and visual grandeur. To say they are spectacular is a great understatement.

This is precisely what Paul meant when he wrote that we were “temples” of the Holy Spirit. It is warm and cozy to think of the Holy Spirit making Himself at home in our hearts, but because Paul used the word naos (“temple”) in First Corinthians 6:19 to describe us, he was painting a very different and much more magnificent picture of our spiritual interiors.

The Holy Spirit performed the ultimate miracle when He came to dwell in our hearts. He came to occupy our spirits, which were dead in trespasses and sins (see Ephesians 2:1) and then He quickened us together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5). In that miraculous moment, He created us to be like God in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). The work inside us was so glorious and perfect that when it was all finished, He declared we were His workmanship created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10). From start to finish, we were apprehended by Him, regenerated by Him, and molded and fashioned to be a magnificent temple, fit for the Spirit of God Himself to make His permanent habitation.

The change in our previously dead spiritual nature is truly miraculous. He resurrected it with glory and power and recreated us to contain the revelation, holiness, splendor, righteousness, the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the life and character of Christ. He adorned our inner man until, spiritually speaking, we became a shrine unto God!

Inwardly we are so beautiful and magnificently created that Almighty God, through His Spirit, is willing to take up permanent residency within us. What kind of home do you think God would require? Would He desire a shabby shack of dirt and sticks? No! He has built for Himself an unspeakably beautiful temple, fit for His glory, within our hearts!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for the amazing work You have done inside my heart. By Your Spirit, You took my spiritually dead condition, raised me to life, and moved into my heart. My spiritual interior has been recreated and embellished so richly that You were even willing to take up residence within me. I am not a shabby shack made of dirt and sticks, but a magnificent temple that You have built for Yourself. You recreated my spirit, and then You adorned my inner man with Your revelation, holiness, splendor, righteousness, the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the life and character of Christ Himself! Holy Spirit, help me gain a deeper revelation of what You have done inside me than I’ve ever had before.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that because of the new birth, my spiritual interior has been miraculously and marvelously recreated to be a suitable residence for the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. I am a magnificent temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. Inside me are the power, glory, and splendor of the Holy Spirit. God’s meticulous attention to detail within my inner man was so glorious and perfect that when it was all finished, He declared me to be His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. I may not see this manifested yet in my outward appearance, but inwardly this is exactly who I am. I will therefore stop speaking poorly of myself. Instead, I will honor the Lord by speaking words in agreement with the mighty work He performed in my inner man, and I will begin to speak words that honor my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever pondered what your spiritual interior must look like in order for the Holy Spirit to be pleased to dwell there? Why don’t you stop and reflect on this question. It could revolutionize the way you see yourself!
2. Are you guilty of judging yourself by your exterior appearance instead of by your interior reality? Is it possible that you’ve been putting your focus on the wrong part of you? Think about that!
3. Why don’t you take time to think of the supernatural work the Holy Spirit has done within you, such as regenerating your spirit, filling you with His power, and so on. How would it affect your confidence and boldness to walk through the situations of life if you continually meditated on what the Holy Spirit has done in you rather than what you’d like to change about your exterior appearance and characteristics?

Gird Up the Loins of Your Mind!

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
— 1 Peter 1:13

Today I want to draw your attention to the phrase “gird up the loins of your mind” that is used in the verse above. This isn’t just an interesting phrase that Peter concocted when he wrote this verse. It is an extremely powerful and graphic picture that expresses something very important that you and I need to understand and apply in our lives!

This phrase “gird up the loins” comes from the Greek word anadzonnumi. This word was used to describe Orientals who wore long robes. Before taking a long journey or before running in a race, they would gather up their loose robes and tuck them up under their girdle.

Most frequently this word would be used to depict a runner who was running a race. To run freely and without hindrance, he would reach down to gather the long, dangling ends of his garments and then tuck them up under his belt. With the loose ends out of the way, he could then run freely and without distraction.

But the runner would get in trouble if he ever allowed his garments to fall down and become entangled in his legs. Even though he may have been picking up his stride and running a good race up to that point, the encumbrance of dangling, loosely hanging clothes would hinder his steps. And allowing those loose ends to keep dangling would have been a sure way to lose the race!

But notice that Peter is not talking about a garment made of material; he is referring to the loins of our minds. You see, Peter is telling us that if we don’t:

•  deal with the loose ends that exist in our minds and emotions;
•  correct those parts of our thinking that we know are wrong;
•  grab hold of all those dangling areas in our thinking and put them out of the way;
•  and remove them by the authority of the Word of God —
•  then we are choosing to permit things to exist in our lives that will hinder our steps and slow us down in our race and in our ability to successfully walk with God!

If we want to be successful in our spiritual lives and truly walk with God, then we must start by dealing with the “loins of our minds.” In other words, we must seek to deal with all the loose ends in our thinking that haven’t yet been submitted to the Word of God or surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s power.

If we deliberately allow wrong thinking and wrong believing to continue in our lives, we are making the same kind of mistake the runner does who deliberately allows his garment to hang down and get caught in his legs. This is why Peter admonishes us to tighten up those areas that the devil would try to grab hold of and use against us!

Are there any loose ends that you need to deal with in your life right now? If there are, I am certain you already know what those areas are! The Holy Spirit has been trying to deal with you about those areas for a long time, but have you been listening? If you continue to ignore His voice, you will pay the price of failure — of never realizing your maximum potential.

You see, God is only trying to help you when He speaks to you about the loose ends in your life. If you’re smart, you’ll stop everything you are doing to grab hold of those dangling ends and get them out of your way once and for all. Then you’ll be able to run the race set before you with no distractions!

So what are you going to do about the loose ends in your life today? If you’ll open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s help, He will assist you in identifying every area that needs your attention; then He will help you grab hold of those loose ends and move them out of your way forever!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me tie up the loose ends that I’ve allowed to remain in my mind and emotions. Today I am making the deliberate choice to start submitting every area of my mind and emotions to the Word of God and to the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Please let the power of Your Word and Spirit flow into every area of my mind and emotions, energizing them with Your Presence so that the devil can no longer access me through these areas of my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that my mind and emotions are submitted to and renewed by God’s Word. The devil has no access to my mind because my thought life is dominated by God’s Word and by the power of the Spirit. I think God’s thoughts, and I have the mind of Jesus Christ. Therefore, no entrance is available in my mind or emotions through which the devil can access me! I believe the truth; I think the truth; and I confess the truth about who Jesus Christ has made me to be!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If you take an honest look at the spiritual attacks that have assaulted your life, how many of them have been a result of your failure to renew your mind or take authority over the devil’s strategies in your life? If the Word of God had dominated your mind and if you had been walking in the Spirit, how might the situation have turned out differently?

2. What are you doing right now to make sure the devil can’t find access to your mind and emotions again? What practical steps are you taking to make sure that you won’t fall into that same trap the next time?

3. If you encounter someone who is constantly being assaulted by the enemy, what preventative steps should you advise that person to take to ensure that the next demonic attack that comes against him is ineffective?